The present invention relates to functional low-molecular-weight, medium-molecular-weight, and high-molecular-weight polymers, both crosslinked and uncrosslinked, and in particular to low-molecular-weight and medium-molecular-weight polymers. More particularly, the present invention relates to such polymers substituted with oxidic moieties, namely aldehyde and/or carboxylic acid and/or hydroxymethyl functionality and/or derivatives thereof, wherein the oxidic carbon is alpha to a phenyl ring which is pendant from the polymer backbone or to a phenyl ring which is itself incorporated within repeating units of the polymer backbone.
A need exists in the art for polymers having the foregoing characteristics and in particular for a technique for forming such polymers which satisfies the objectives of satisfactory yield and rate, flexibility in the degree of oxidation and in the final molecular weight achieved by the technique, avoidance of hazardous reagents and reaction conditions, and relative ease and economy of operation.
There has now been discovered a new class of polymers and new materials derivable therefrom, as well as a process for producing such polymers which meets all of the foregoing objectives.